Prince Popeye

My brother has just been summoned in by one of the managers at work. He's been asked to remove his St Georges Flag which is currently on his work desk They've asked him politely.
Apparently someone has complained at work. Should he remove it or give them the middle digit and face the consequences????

farmer1

Middle Digit. Either that or remove it and set his desktop background as it.

Katana

Give the middle digit. You should be proud of the flag.

davegtt

have I missed something, were in england and we aint allowed to fly the english flag anymore?

says it all.

MattW

Got one on my desk, don't see the problem. I am after all in england.

RichWalk

tell him to rise above the sutuation and take it home with him- whats the point in getting embroiled in any more nonsence than already exists in most offices!

OllyK

Kinda depends on the policies at work - we have a clear desk policy so it wouldn't be allowed here. Clear desk policies are fine, but it is a pain in the *** lugging the 19" monitor home every night

Prince Popeye

Its only a small stick on flag on his desk. I could understand if it was a huge drape.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I'd ask the manager to ask the person complaining why they think a white piece of cotton with a red cross is so offensive to them....and ask him/her is it really nessercery to give in to the imature whinings of that particular employee?

I'd also swap it for a International Red Cross flag to show my support for them instead (and lets see them complain about an almost identical flag)

unclebuck

You see the Stars and Stripes everywhere in the States. Even the tramps wear them on their carts. Now *that's* loyalty.

What small minded **** could complain about it, and on what possible grounds? Also, what kind of sad middle managment type is gullible enough to act on it?!? Sounds like folks there don't have enough work to do.

UB

davegtt

right, what I dont understand is that here in england if we fly the english flag some person (presumably) from a different country can find it offensive and ask for it to be taken down, now as an example if this person was asian, what would happen if your mate complained and found it offencive to have an asian working in the office.

to me I dont see much difference in either of them things yet his mate would be shot down for being a racist no?

Prince Popeye

Apparently one of the foreign temps has complained. Managers can't mention a name but wouldn't it be better to ask this person WHY????? Get them both in the office. Otherwise it just causes friction.

douglasb

Wonder what would happen if someone of (say) Jamaican extraction was to put a Jamaican flag on their desk and a Briton complained about this? I suspect that the same manager would tell the Briton that we need to be tolerant of differences and respect a multicultural work environment.

davegtt

just thought, the company I work for is canadian and we have the canadian flag flying int he slaes office. can I complain...lmfao, who'd be so petty?

unclebuck

Deffo a case of 'swivel'. About time these crap 'managers' showed some loyalty to their workers. The temp should be dismissed as a trouble maker, and replaced immediately. End of story.

UB

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

Get a bigger one! ffs anyone would think it was a crime to be English!

RichWalk

It is unless we are paying for something/ someone

what would scooby do

Get him to threaten to take story to the papers - the tabloids love that kinda story and the firm may buckle at the thought

The Zohan

How sad and how typical of this day and age.

May i suggest he does not flip the the bird but politely and firmly explains that it is English flag, he is proud to be English and display the flag.

Ask for a written explaination of why he should remove the flag if it is a H&S issue then fine but if for PC reasons or not to upset others then his possibly his civil rights are being infringed.

Get him to cast his eye around the office and see whhat other things people have on thier desks.

While i am sure he does not want to look like trouble maker this really is appauling.

I would contact the papers if this issue blows up at work.

Paul

Suresh

The world has gone mad. Unbelieveable. Definately ignore the request to take it down. I would doubt there can be any [legal] disciplinary action for not removing a symbol of national pride.

For the record, I am sitting here in Holland with a medium-sized St. George's Cross draped over my monitors for the whole world to see.

Suresh

midget1500

this is a tricky one, if you're friend doesn't take it down then he will be marked as a trouble maker and not the pleb that complained in the first instance. though, since i'm in N.I. if i had a union jack on my desk that could cause problems!

devils advocate - why does your friend feel the need to have this little flag on their desk?

my view - PC gone mad

ajm

Counter complain. Remove the flag for the time being to avoid trouble, then lodge a complaint with the bosses boss saying he has been discriminated against on the basis of his nationality.

rik1471

Don't take it down. But politley ask why the request has been made.

tiggers

Embed it in the complaining ****'s head - flag removed from desk - everyone's happy

Disclaimer: This is not a serious suggestion by the way

windyboy

One of my co-workers once wore a **** top that had the Union Jack on it even though the colours were all brown (i.e. not red, white and blue), I don't if anybody complained but somebody could of done as he was asked not to wear it again in work.

Here in N'orn Iron we are not allowed to display any sort of flag due to the Flags and Emblems Act and our current political climate.

Windyboy.

Mark Miwurdz

It seems to me that the English are the only nation on earth who are not allowed to display any degree of pride in our national flag. If any other country waves their banner, it's patriotic; if we do the same, it's racist.

I'd take this up politely and ask on what basis the complaint has been made.

Cheers
Kav

mart360

good old multiculturism


makes you proud to be bri-ai-ja-ch-et-it-fr-ge-hu-bo-ru-ish

et al...

welcome to little england the worlds only ethnic majority


Mart

Prince Popeye

My brother has just read all this and has told the manager in question that he doesn't intend to remove the flag. Apparently its out of this jobworth's control so its going up the hierarchy. 99%of his work colleagues agree its nonsense.

He says this has really p*ssed ppl off who he works with bigtime. They're all gonna sign a petition if he gets the bullet!!!


'May i suggest he does not flip the the bird but politely and firmly explains that it is English flag, he is proud to be English and display the flag.'

Paul the manager in question has simply told him that someone has taken offence to the flag on his desk and he should remove it asap. Is it an H&S issue?

Markus

So, a foreign temp has complained, bet you that they would be allowed to have thier flag on the desk and woe betide anyone who complains.

I would ask, nicely of course, the management to show the clause in the workplace pratcice the company employs that expressly forbids this type of thing. I agree with having both people in the office.

I had someone put a US flag on my desk in the US office, I kept moving it and it kept re-appearing, so in the end I just set the bloody thing on fire, got the message across that I did not want it on my desk.

Dracoro

LOL Did they suspect you of being an islamic fundamentalist terrorist?